Weird electrical "creaking" sound from dashboard

[robkola]

98 4.0 Chimaera
It sounds like my dashboard is creaking (on left hand side), and the interior light flickers on during the sound. My windows/locks still work - but concerned I'm about to suffer a major electrical breakdown.
Anyone come across this symptom?

[incorrigible]

No, but ther are loads of relays around there (probably the source of the creaking sound)

[robkola]

Maybe I should just take the dash off and drive around with an observant passenger! Hope the dashboard isn't acting as a second roll-bar

[mark c]

I've had something which sounds just like this - it was caused by an intermittant contact in one of the switches on the sils that sense if the doors are closed - it switches on the curtoursy light and does something to locking mechanism (I think...)

Check the round pad at the bottom of the door hasn't fallen off... Or maybe the door is out of alignment...

Regards,

Mark

[Nev]

Sounds like something I had on my 98 4.0 chim, the noise on mine was the relay that switches the interior light on clicking in and out because the door switches for the light where not fully pushed in (should not make a circuit when the door is closed). There should be rubber pads that push the switch in (and switch the interior light off) when the doors are closed, check these are there (near back of the doors) and are thick enought to fully depress the switches. Hope this helps

[robkola]

Thanks for all your advise so far. As it's dry I'll take a look for lunch!

[incorrigible]

To do a proper inspection you'll nee to look at Trefors web site (Chim dash top removal)

edited to add this

>> Edited by incorrigible on Tuesday 19th November 13:46

[robkola]

Thanks for that Ben. Hopefully I learned a lot when I was watching my alarm system being replaced - and have kept the photos.

Seems to remember only a couple of screws underneath and you're almost off!

Just wander whether it's safe to dry round the block without the cover on the dash!

[incorrigible]

Ermmm, hope so Mine's been off for over a fortnight now, trying to replicate the problem I had

I don't think you'll need to take yours off completely, the relays on the left are easily accesable only removing the left hand side bolts (the eay ones to get to)

If youve got any problems, I can show you, are you up for lunch on Sunday ?

[incorrigible]

robkola said:Hopefully I learned a lot when I was watching my alarm system being replaced - and have kept the photos.

You have learned much but you are not yet a Jedi

[robkola]

. . .more like a muppet if I screw it up! . .

[robkola]

Nev said: Sounds like something I had on my 98 4.0 chim, the noise on mine was the relay that switches the interior light on clicking in and out because the door switches for the light where not fully pushed in (should not make a circuit when the door is closed). There should be rubber pads that push the switch in (and switch the interior light off) when the doors are closed, check these are there (near back of the doors) and are thick enought to fully depress the switches. Hope this helps

Tada!
Being the resourcful chap I am - yes teh rubber dimple has fallen off the drivers' side, so I used some draft excluder which did the job perfectly - it's just difficult to find black draft excluder!
Cheers chaps!

[alisonh]

I’ve been having exactly the same problem and upon investigation my ‘dimple’ has also come off the driver’s side.

Thanks for the tip, I’ll see if I can hunt down something similar.

Alison

[robkola]

alisonh said: I’ve been having exactly the same problem and upon investigation my ‘dimple’ has also come off the driver’s side.

Thanks for the tip, I’ll see if I can hunt down something similar.

Alison

Yeah - bloody 98 models - must be 4 years then the rubber dimples start to fall off! Anythign that will pad out will do . . . .